The Labyrinth (1986)

Directed by Jim Henson. Starring Jennifer Connelly, David Bowie, (voices) Brian Henson, David Shaughnessy, Ron Mueck, Denise Bryer. [PG]

Young suburban dreamer Connelly wishes that goblins would come and take away her crying baby brother…so they do, and after immediately lamenting that wish, she’s given thirteen hours by the Goblin King (Bowie) to negotiate his labyrinth and rescue the child in the castle at the center of it. Along the way, she collects odd companions, Wizard of Oz-style (a grumpy dwarf, a big hairy beast, a diminutive fox-terrier knight atop a canine steed), but they may not be enough to help her since the Goblin King doesn’t like to play fair. Second cinematic collaboration between Jim Henson and Brian Froud (after The Dark Crystal) is another successful marriage of Froud’s otherworldly concepts with Henson’s Creature Shop creations, even if they have to contend with a weak, all-too-familiar storyline. It’s like “Alice in Wonderland” with more goblins, less linguistic wit, and a teenage girl’s sexual awakening in the bargain—it’s David Bowie, after all, so it probably would have worked on a teenage boy, too. Contains some creative ideas, nifty design elements, and first-rate puppetry/makeup effects, but after a rushed start, the pace has a tendency to drag inside the maze, and the movie runs on fumes for much of the second half. Bowie doesn’t have much to do but cut a striking figure (teased Tina Turner-esque hair and all) and sing some songs; Connelly is cute but anemic, a victim of a script that doesn’t give her anything all that interesting to say, especially when talking to herself in the first third. Screenplay credited to Monty Python-alum, Terry Jones; executive produced by George Lucas.

65/100